By Jamie Ó Tuama

This Saturday, 20th of November, Darryl Dolan from Erne Eagles Rounders Club will play at Connacht’s GAA Air Dome in Mayo, in an All-Ireland Scór Sinsir ‘instrumental music’ final in front of a crowd of over 1,000 people. Shortly after performing he will rush off up to Dublin to collect an All-Star for his outstanding achievements on the rounders pitch this past year. 2020 and 2021 have been extraordinary years for the Erne Eagles’ star.

In advance of this weekend’s Scór Sinsir 2020 Finals, gaa.ie caught up with Darryl to get his thoughts on what has been a remarkable year for both himself and his club. I started by asking him to summarise the year that has been at Scór and on the field of play with Rounders.

‘The year that has been, I suppose it’s kind of 2020-2021 all rolled into each other because Scór is obviously still in the 2020 season’, explained Darryl. ‘Then in the Rounders we did the Mixed 2020 Championship Final in June and then followed it up with the 2021 season as well.

‘I suppose it has really been a bit unbelievable. In terms of rounders, we always back ourselves but it was a little bit different in 2020 going into that mixed championship because the senior mixed cup had been renamed after Dymphna Reilly, a club mate of ours. She was the reason that we ourselves got into Senior Scór again back in 2018, just before she died.

‘Sinéad, one of the girls, and I had been chatting to her that we might do it. She was trying to convince us to do it. Sadly, she passed away then. Then we said that we had to go in and do it. It all kind of built on from there. To get to this stage to have the success we have had on the pitch and now getting this far in Scór is just brilliant.’

The Scór Sinsir Finals will be the first event of its kind to be hosted in what is the biggest Air Dome in the world. Those representing their club, counties and provinces this weekend will be forever remembered for it. Darryl is really looking forward to playing in the venue.

‘I am really looking forward to getting the opportunity to play in it’, explains Darryl. ‘I was actually in Bekan recently. I think it was October. We were organising the Connacht Cup, a competition for rounders so we were doing a regional blitz. When I was over checking out the venue and sorting out the pitches and that, Kurt, one of the guys over there gave me a tour of the inside of the Dome and explained the different things they were doing with it and, obviously, that they were hoping to host the Senior Scór finals. At the time the provincial finals hadn’t been done so I wasn’t really thinking at that stage that I’d be getting and opportunity to play in it. It is hugely exciting.

‘The fact that it is going to be with the guys in my club is, words can’t describe how good it is to play with those guys. I would have been involved with Scór for years, you know. I competed a little bit at underage and then a couple of times at senior. After 2018, after poor Dymphna passed away, my real thing with Scór would have been helping underage.

‘I think I have actually coached every one of the guys that are in the group with me at one stage or another in different music groups. So, the fact that they are now playing beside me in Senior Scór and as part of the club, is a huge honour.’

Hours and hours of practice are needed in Scór Sinsir to ensure that everything goes right on the day, but it was different during Covid. Daryll spoke of the challenges and difficulties in keeping motivated with the group due to the pandemic.

‘I suppose in ways its quite similar to the rounders in that we are a tight knit bunch. I have known the guys for years. Even when they were underage and helping to coach them for Scór and that.

‘I suppose practice was different really because it was so spread out. We were practicing a little bit for 2020 but when it came around to the provincial finals there, I hadn’t played in a long time so it was matter of trying to knock off the rust in a short space of time.’

Just like dual players in other sports and disciplines within the GAA there are certain challenges in committing to two pastimes. Darryl credits his team mates in particular for keeping him motivated.

‘You know I was nearly afraid of letting them down because its focused so much on the last 18 months or whatever’, said Darryl. ‘When things were opened up with rounders and with on field sports, I wasn’t playing much music. To be fair its completely down to Sinéad and the guys that they constantly kept at me. They wanted to get me back and that is what a team and being a part of a club is. You know, even if you are not feeling the best in your abilities that they kind of bring you with them and show that level of sport. Hopefully we can give a decent account of ourselves the next day.’

Due to Daryll exploits on the Rounders pitch, he will not be able to hang around after his performance, on Saturday afternoon. He is due to make the long trip to the Green Isle Hotel in Clondalkin where he will pick up an All-Star in recognition of his exploits for Erne Eagles during their hugely successful year in which they went to win senior men and senior mixed All-Ireland titles. The Cavan man has mixed emotions about having to leave straight away.

‘Unfortunatley, I am not going to be able to stay around for the rest of the event, but I am sure it is going to be an absolutely fantastic day in the Dome. Especially when it gets to seeing all the different groups and the different competitions. I love going to Scór. I love to see each of the different competitions, so it is a bit disappointing that I am not going to be there.

The Scór Sinsir Sinsir will be streamed live on TG4’s Youtube channel. Daryll is looking forward to tuning in on his way to Dublin to collect his All-Star.

‘I can’t really complain, it is a very decent excuse that I have to go. I’ll be trying to keep an ear out. I might try and see is there some way I can stream it on the way up to Dublin and listen to it in the background or something as I’m on my way up. I’m sure the guys will keep me posted because they are into Scór as much as I am. They’ll be letting me know who or what acts are enjoyable and which ones they would like to see again and so on.’

Regarding the importance of winning and what it would mean to Darryl and the Erne Eagle’s on Saturday, he said;

‘We never really think about trying to win. I know that feels a bit cheesy but when we do these things, we are just doing it to have a bit of fun, go in and if we can go in and play to the best of our ability and just give a decent account of ourselves, we will be happy.

‘We are not really thinking of trying to come away and win this. It’s just trying to go in and enjoy it and show that there is that side to the GAA. If someone wants to join a club that there is something for everyone. It is not just for the sporting people on the pitch. There are decent social aspects to it and to enjoy that side of it.

‘If we were lucky enough to do anything it would obviously be fantastic. In our club we have definitely never taken home any Scór titles at All-Ireland level in Erne Eagles. We did make the finals in 2018 when we entered after Dymphna’s passing but again the thoughts were never to try to win. I can’t even fathom what that would be like.

‘My only regret will be that I cannot be there for the results. I can’t be there with the guys. Win, lose or draw, we are just a small little club trying to spread the word.’

The Scór Sinsir 2020 Finals will be streamed live on TG4’s Youtube channel from 3.00pm on Saturday. Tune in live to listen to Daryll, Erne Eagles and all the other competitors at the following link; https://youtu.be/5-c4Zaiz6WE

Cumann Lúthchleas Gael – Tá Áit Dúinn Uilig Ann.